A display device refers to a device equipped with a function of receiving broadcast images that can be viewed by viewers and processing the received broadcast images. And, recently, in Korea as well as other countries around the globe, analog broadcasting is being switched (or converted) to digital broadcasting.
Digital broadcasting refers to a broadcast service transmitting digital video and audio signals. As compared to the analog broadcasting, digital broadcasting undergoes less data loss due to its robustness against external noise. Digital broadcasting is also advantageous for error correction, and digital broadcasting has high resolution and provides vivid picture screens. Furthermore, unlike the analog broadcasting, digital broadcasting can provide two-way (or bi-directional) services.
Meanwhile, Smart TVs, which correspond to smart TVs equipped with a combination of the functions of a display device and the functions of a multimedia device, have recently been in the spotlight.
Such smart TVs may correspond to intelligent devices having computer-supported functions, such as internet communication and information search functions, added to display devices. As compared to the conventional display devices, a memory having a greater capacity and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) having a higher performance as compared to the conventional display device are equipped in the smart TV, and an operating system (OS) for supporting the execution of diverse applications, the performance of voice (or audio)/data communication, interoperability with PCs (Personal Computers), and so on is also equipped in the smart TV. When using such smart TV, unlike when using the conventional display device, the user may freely use services through the internet. Most particularly, an application requested by the user may be downloaded from an external source and may then be installed.
Accordingly, by executing the installed application, the user may use the display device as a digital signage and may then display advertisement contents. However, in the related art display device, when using the display device as digital signage, there were limitations in user input means. Thus, there were difficulties in processing the wanted (or desired) advertisement content. Additionally, when displaying a screen for delivering (or conveying) information for a long period of time, problems of ghost effects or burn-in effects occurred on the display unit of the display device.
Therefore, in order to resolve the problems lying in the related art display device, when using the display device as digital signage in order to display advertisement contents, a method that enables the user to easily process wanted advertisement contents and that can prevent any damage from occurring on the display unit and a display device using the method are crucially required to be developed.